At Spring Grove Ranch, we pride ourselves in the quality of our cattle, and that quality all starts with breeding. In today’s fast-paced beef and livestock industries, it’s becoming more prevalent to know less about a bovine’s lineage or its ethical treatment. However, we stick to a breeding philosophy which focuses on producing well-structured seedstock from long line of pedigree bovines as well as providing prime beef efficiently without sacrificing humane practices. Read below to learn more about the pillars of our breeding philosophy.
Fertility
Fertility is the beginning stage of cattle growth. A heifer’s fertility affects how many calves she will have in her lifespan, and her milk production. Though fertility depends on the genetics of the heifer and the sire, there are a few factors that can improve fertility:
- Nutrition: The health of the bovine supports good fertility. Research suggests the average efficient cow can calve every 12 months. Thus, it is imperative that the cow is on a balanced diet, as a poor diet will delay breeding efforts.
- Exams: The average sire infertility rate is 20%. That is why a breed soundness exam or (BSE) is necessary for all active bulls. These exams can identify if there are any waning infertility issues or if a bull is sterile.
- Preventative Care: Breeding cattle should receive annual veterinary care. Veterinarians will check for any reproductive diseases that would affect the cow’s health or breeding ability.
WHY IT MATTERS TO US
If you are planning on purchasing a sire or donor from Spring Grove Ranch, we make sure all our seedstock are healthy and fertile. Additionally, all seedstock receive veterinary care to prevent any diseases.
Calving Ease
Calving ease pertains to a heifer’s ability to birth calves without any help. Cattle breeders look for this quality because heifers often give birth overnight when no one is available to assist. Additionally, cattle are susceptible to Dystocia, or calving difficulty, which happens when a heifer tries to birth a calf with a high birth weight. This leads to harm and injury to both the calf and to the heifer. However, Spring Grove Ranch can estimate a birth weight ahead of time with Estimated Birth Values (EBV).
Calving ease EBVs calculate a heifer’s or sire’s birth weight and calving score data. Then, the data is divided into two categories: direct and maternal. The American Angus Association defines Calving Ease Direct as, “the average difference in ease with which a sire’s calves will be born when he is bred to first-calf heifers” Further, maternal is, “the average ease with which a sire’s daughters will calve as first calf heifers when compared to daughters of other sires.”
WHY IT MATTERS TO US
We strive to produce cattle efficiently as well as make sure our heifer and calves are healthy. This way, you are getting cattle or beef that is of high quality from the beginning.
Calf Growth
A healthy, strong bovine first starts with a well-developed calf. For the important developmental months of a young calf, we make sure they stay by their mother’s side. This way they can receive the nutrients needed from her milk. Then, we wean the calf by transitioning it onto a grass-fed diet.
WHY IT MATTERS TO US
We understand that the way a calf develops affects the kind of beef he will yield in the future. We strive to deliver quality in not only our beef, but in the way we raise our cattle.
Structure
When selling cattle, a cow’s frame and bone structure is one of the items reviewed on its Expected Progeny Differences (EPD). We review a cow’s phenotype, which is the visible characteristics of a cow. and we check a cow’s:
- Hooves
- Muscle Thickness
- Hind legs
- Hip structure
- Frame size
It is vital that a cow’s structure is in good condition as poor structure causes health problems. Additionally, poor structures affects offspring and leads to deformities within the calf.
WHY IT MATTERS TO US
When you buy seedstock or beef from Spring Grove Ranch, we know it’s an investment. We aim to build trust with our customers. Thus, we devote resources and time to produce the best cattle possible.
Feed Efficiency
How a cow converts its food to mass is crucial when raising beef cattle. Our cattle follow a grass-fed, grain finished diet. Grain is key to building the mass and marbling required for good beef. Grain enriches beef with a nutrients and leads to more tender cuts compared to an only grass-fed diet.
WHY IT MATTERS TO US
We not only do what’s best for quality beef, but we make sure it is best for the cow as well. We smoothly transition our cows from grass to grain to help them adjust easily.
Intensive Artificial Insemination
There are two primary types of breeding practices: artificial insemination and natural breeding. Though both have their merits, artificial insemination is preferred when it comes to maintaining the genetic qualities that our purebred Angus cattle are known for.
WHY IT MATTERS TO US
Artificial insemination gives us an advantage on verifying all our cattle contain elite genetics. This way, our cattle are at their prime when sold for breeding or beef purposes.
Embryo Transfer
Embryo Transfer is another breeding practice. The Embryo Transfer starts by impregnating a donor cow through artificial insemination. After 7 days, the embryo is flushed out and transferred into a recipient cow who will carry the calf to term.
WHY IT MATTERS TO US
We make sure our donor and recipient cows are in perfect health and have a good bone structure before selecting her for embryo transfers. This helps us to produce healthy cattle efficiently.
Our Promise
Integrity and quality are at the forefront of everything we do at Spring Grove Ranch. We believe that quality beef or seedstock starts with the cattle’s genetics and how they’re treated. Our breeding sires and heifers contain elite genetics from proven pedigrees. Further, we raise our cattle humanely on our 1000+ acre pasture instead of a feedlot.
Learn more about our beef, sales and events by visiting our website.
